Security Checklist/Site Administration

From Joomla! Documentation

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Internet security is a vast and fast-moving topic. No one set of rules can cover all the possible situations.
The articles below will point you in the right direction. At a minimum they will do two things:

Site Administration

Use well-formed passwords

Change passwords regularly and keep them unique. A strong password has a random combination of letters, numbers, or symbols. Avoid using single names or words found in a dictionary. Never use the names of your relatives, pets, etc. Search the forums for a script supplied by Wizzie that automatically changes passwords. This is a great tool for administrators or multiple sites. There are numerous handy websites that have strong password generators.

Follow a password leveling scheme

Most users may not need more than three levels of passwords and webmasters no more than five. Each level must be completely unrelated to the others in terms of which usernames and passwords are used. Learn how to do this: How do you setup a powerful password scheme?

Maintain a strong site backup process

Never rely on others' backups. Take responsibility for your backup procedures. Many ISPs state in their contract that you cannot rely solely on their backups.

Monitor crack attempts

VPS and dedicated server users can run TripWire or SAMHAIN. These applications provide exhaustive file checking and reporting functionality, and can be installed in a stealthy manner to help protect themselves in the event of a serious infiltration. (Note: Users of shared servers cannot use this technique.)

Perform automated intrusion detection

Use an Intrusion Prevention/Detection Systems to block/alert on malicious HTTP requests.

Use shell scripts to automate security tasks

Learn about security software

There is not a single tool that can protect your site. If there were, it would be so heavily targeted that it would probably become a liability.

Don't reinvent every wheel

Every now and then, hire a professional Joomla! security consultant to review your configurations. Do you remember the adage, "Anyone who acts as their own lawyer has a fool for a client."? The same goes for Web development. Don't expect to catch all of your own security mistakes.